Using ornaments on your computer

Unlike low-resolution bitmap images, which often look jagged when scaled or printed, vector-based Postscript images can be scaled to any size without losing their sharp edges.

Importing

The easiest way to begin using the Cuts & Caps ornaments right away is to import the file you’ve downloaded into your document. Just select Import… or Place… in almost any software application.

Applications like Adobe Photoshop will convert the ornament into a bitmap image. It will look fine on screen, but it will print with jagged edges, especially if increased in size. For sharper print output, import the image into a page layout or word processing application.

Opening

In a vector-based application such as Adobe Illustrator, you can open, rather than import, the image, in order to edit the individual paths. In this mode, you can easily add color or duplicate parts of an image to create a border.

Laser printing

Postscript encoding means the images will print crisply on any laser or inkjet printer. But please don’t expect machined precision: our ornaments retain some of the minute idiosyncracies of the printed images from which they were drawn. Our ornaments are slightly imperfect, with a hand-printed character that is appropriate to their age.

Letterpress printing

See Using ornaments on a letterpress.